Wichita eagle., 1887-05-07
9ai19&g eagle
TWO ACTORS, ARM IN ARM.

inc instinct OF Pose and Parade-A
blacksmith on Shipboard.
l shall never forget the effect produced
kpon broadway by the simultaneous appear
snce on the sidewalk one day of Barrett and
Booth arm in arm, clad from neck to toe in
heavy ulsters, shod in hi. rubber overshoes,
topped with heavy fur caps and with big
handkerchiefs wound around their necks.
They stalked down the middle Of the side
walk with stiff legged and jerky poInposity,
wrapped in impenetrable gloom, staring
straight ahead and passing comedians, walk
ing gentlemen and supers as monarchs might
take their way through horde of cringing
vassals. A few Of the people who did not
recognize the celebrities at once laughed out
right at the spectacle Of the two under sized
and mufiied little men putting on such airs
RS did America S two most famous tragedians
that afternoon on Broadway.
"The instinct Of pose and parade, - said
one of the men to whom this incident was
related, "afilicts the best of them. l am
fond of the theatre, you know, and have
very large acquaintance with actors, not
only in New York and London, but in Paris,
Berlin and Vienna, and have found that it
Is the tragedian who always poses. I know
no more genial man or FRANK and cordial
gentleman than Wilson Barrett, and yet
saw him exhibit himself once in way that
made me wonder for ten days, what the in
fuence is that causes n man to make a pea
cock of himself simply because bis efforts are
directed toward the heavier walks Of tho
drama.
"When came over from London last fall
Barrett was on the same steamer. The usual
entertainment for the benefit of tho Sea-
l., l.
Englishman on board and when he was
making up the programme-there were
many professional people on board-he went
to Barrett and asked him if ne could depend
upon him for a recitation or a bit of talk of
some sort. Barrett agreed to aid the enter
tainment and said that he would recite
little poem about q blacksmith When the
entertainment was about half through the
manager suddenly remembered that Barrett
was missing, and leaving the saloon he hur-
ried around looking for the missing TRACE
dian. After rushing about the deck glanc-
ing into the smoking room and the captains
cabin, the manager finally found his way to
Barrett's stateroom and discovered the eye
of the famous tragedian peering from the
half opened door.
is everything ready" asked Barrett in
q stage whisper
'Eh, said the other, everything is ready
enough. All you have TO do is to step up
and speak your little piece, you know
"Barrett threw open the door, dashed
through the throng of passengers in the
saloon, sprang upon the stage and stood re-
vealed in the costume of the brawny and
theatrical blacksmith. His hair was ar
ranged in studied disorder, his legs clad in
corduroys, his muscular arms barred to the
shoulders and his leather shirt thrown open
at the neck SO as to show vast expanse Of
athletic chest. AS it was gray and driz-
cling day and the ship was pitching about on
a heavy swell, the effect was not inspiring,
for there were no footlights and calciums to
help the make upof the actor, and the pitch
ing of the ship caused him to stagger about
like a drunken reveler On the icy walk at
midnight. The recitation was, of course, a
failure, as everybody laughed at the efforts
of the blacksmith to keep on his sturdy pins,
and there was no end of guying going on all
the time.'
Still they all do it, you know.-Blakely
Hall in Kansas City Times.